Various types of scales are known in the art from which an item is suspended to be weighed. The more common hanging scales include analog grocery scales adapted to weigh meat and or produce, and fish scales. Typically, these scales are suspended from overhead and include either a tray or hook that is suspended from their bottom side on which the item is placed or hung. Fish scales, which are designed to weigh fish and other items that are relatively low in weight, are often held from above by the user. Finding a place to suspend one of the scales adapted to hold higher weights can be problematic. In a commercial building or a garage, the ceilings are often too high and in residential settings the hooks or other fasteners must be permanently or semi-permanently secured to the ceiling through drywall. Stands are available or can be fabricated to hold grocery type scales but they tend to be very heavy and expensive.
One group of people that often have a high degree of interest in weighing their gear is bicycle enthusiasts and racers (collectively referred to as cyclists herein). The weight of a cyclist's bicycle has a direct effect on the speed at which he/she can accelerate or climb hills. Accordingly, cyclists are constantly looking for ways to reduce the weight of their bicycles. Unfortunately, traditional scales are not well suited for weighing bicycles. Fish scales typically do not have capacities beyond 25 pounds. Grocery scales are generally cost prohibitive for at home use and often do not have the degree of precision desired by cyclists, although some bike shops have adapted such scales for use in weighing bicycles.
Typically, the cyclist is relegated to using his/her bathroom scale to weigh his/her bicycle. However, these scales provide digital or analog readouts in one pound increments, and even worse, have much higher error tolerances. In other words, they give a cyclist a rough idea of the weight of his/her bike but not the net effect of swapping particular components for other components.
One solution for the cyclist is the Prepstand Pro by Topeak of Cycling Accessories of New York. It comprises a repair stand with an integrated scale that provides the weight of the bicycle or other item clamped thereto. While this product is suitable for use at home, it is relatively expensive. Furthermore, it is not a convenient solution for cyclists that already own a repair stand. Finally, the scale portion cannot be separated from the stand portion, preventing a user from conveniently placing the scale in a bag or his car to transport to other locations.